The present invention relates to a mixed reality realizing system for use in exhibition facilities like a museum for example, which provides viewers with information on exhibits together with the exhibits they are viewing, by integrating a virtual space with a real space.
In displaying excavated clay pots at a museum, for example, it is desirable to present to viewers not only exhibits themselves but with information on the exhibits, such as excavated places, conditions of excavation and the like.
Conventionally, in response to such a demand, explanatory panels have been installed or voice guidance systems have been employed to provide relevant information.
In recent year, following the advance in technology of microprocessors, such an electronic guidance system has been developed that uses a portable-type information terminal device or a personal digital assistant (PDA) for combining voices and images to provide viewers with desired information in an interactive manner.
However, when conventional explanatory panels are used, it is very difficult to provide pertinent information corresponding to interests of viewers in an interactive manner, because there are physical restrictions to sizes of the panels, space for placement of the panels and soon. When voice guidance systems are used, there are no physical restrictions but it is impossible to provide visual information such as pictures, images and so on. Consequently, it is impossible to expect such display effects as providing viewers with reality sense and immersion sense.
Contrary to these, the electronic guidance system using the PDA is capable of providing viewers with interactive information corresponding to their interests by combining voices and images. Therefore, this system is considered to be the best one in the present circumstances.
However, when the electronic guidance system is utilized, viewers have to bother to hold the PDA with both hands to operate it, inconveniencing the operation thereof, besides there is difference in display position between an exhibit itself and its image projected by the PDA, necessitating the viewers to frequently move their sight lines between the exhibit and the PDA. Thus, a problem is posed that the viewers cannot afford to fully enjoy appreciating the exhibit.
Therefore, the present invention has an object to provide a mixed reality realizing system capable of producing a display effect of giving reality sense and immersion sense.
In order to achieve this object, the mixed reality realizing system of the present invention comprises identification signal transmitters located around a target object to transmit identification signals of the target object, a plurality of position indicators for indicating a position of the target object, and a portable type terminal device comprising a head mount display (HMD), a controller and a computer,
wherein the head mount display of the portable type terminal device comprises: a video display; an identification signal receiver for receiving the identification signals of the target object transmitted from the identification signal transmitters; and a camera for shooting the plurality of position indicators, and the computer comprises: a storage for storing, in advance, data including coordinate positions of the plurality of position indicators on an image shot by the camera from a reference position previously determined based on the target object and contents relating to the target object; a control operation unit for receiving the signals from the identification signal receiver and retrieving the contents relating to the target object from the storage; a coordinate position recognizing unit for recognizing, in real time, coordinate positions of the plurality of position indicators on the image shot by the camera; a position-information operation unit for calculating a visible position and a real position of the target object based on the plurality of coordinate positions obtained from the position indicators; and a content superimposing unit for superimposing the contents relating to the target object on the target object on the video display of the head mount display based on the information on the plurality of positions obtained from the position-information operation unit, the contents having been registered in advance in the storage, and
wherein the position-information operation unit calculates a difference between each coordinate position of the position indicator on the image registered in advance in the storage of the computer, and a coordinate position recognized in real time by the coordinate position recognizing unit, thereby to superimpose in real time the contents relating to the target object on the target object based on the calculation result.
According to the foregoing, the HMD associated with the portable type terminal device is provided with the camera for shooting the position indicators placed around the target object on a vertical plane to effect superimposed display by positioning the contents relating to the target object on a real image of the target object in real time, so that without using a special three dimensional position-and-attitude sensor-or the like, that is to say, with only such a simple arrangement as the position indicator and the camera combined, it is possible to provide a viewer with interactive information full of rich sources in which the target object and its related contents are integrated together. Thus, it is possible to give an advanced immersion sense to the viewer, as well as to enhance the effect of exhibition when the target object is an exhibit, for example.
Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, used as the head mount display of the mixed reality realizing system is an optical see-through type head mount display which includes a half mirror for permeating a reflected light from the target object toward a visible position of the target object, and which does not output a background image shot by the camera to the video display.
Still further, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, used as the head mount display of the mixed reality realizing system is a video see-through type head mount display which includes a both-sided mirror located midway along a reflected light course from the target object toward the visual position, for refracting a reflected light from the target object in other directions than the one toward the visual position, and which outputs a background image shot by the camera to the video display.
A number of characteristic features and effects of the present invention will be clarified by the preferred embodiment described below with reference to annexed drawings.